


talk it out and try again

by seekeronthepath



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Closeted Character, Communication, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Jack has a praise kink like no one on earth lbr, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Safewords, Sub Jack, aka out to friends but not in public
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-13 23:19:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11770536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekeronthepath/pseuds/seekeronthepath
Summary: “Stop.”Bitty froze, one hand on Jack’s chest, the other cupping his cheek. “...okay, Jack,” he breathed warily. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”-----Jack and Bitty know what they do and don't like...mostly. Sometimes something surprises them, but they've learnt how to talk about it





	talk it out and try again

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [blithelybonny](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blithelybonny/pseuds/blithelybonny) in the [OMGCP_Heartbreak_Fest_2017](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/OMGCP_Heartbreak_Fest_2017) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
>  
> 
> Jack and Bitty have been in a working D/s relationship for a while, but even experienced couples have things go wrong sometimes. When a boundary is crossed, the couple needs to renegotiate and work it out.  
> 

“ _Stop.”_

Bitty froze, one hand on Jack’s chest, the other cupping his cheek. “...okay, Jack,” he breathed warily. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

 

\---

 

 _Since Bitty had moved to Providence after graduation, he and Jack had developed a routine. They were both busy in the mornings - a career in baking meant early rising and morning shifts, while Jack generally got to the rink before nine. And sometimes, of course, Jack had a game, or had to travel to_ get _to a game the next day. But then there were the afternoons when they were both home, and they made the most of those._

 

\---

 

Jack breathed in shakily, trying to frame the words. It was hard to think, the heavy fog of subspace slowing him down, even now it had begun to feel oppressive rather than comforting. He swallowed hard, trying to frame the words. “What...you said,” he croaked, closing his eyes. “I don’t…”

 

\---

 

 _The two of them had made their first tentative forays into BDSM while Bitty was still at Samwell - if by ‘tentative forays’ you meant Bitty realising that Jack genuinely enjoyed following his instructions, and that a little praise had him over the moon. There had been a particular afternoon when Bitty had been heaping over-the-top compliments on Jack over the phone, and Jack had finally groaned “Bits,_ please _,” in a tone of voice Bitty knew all too well… They got distracted that day, but they came back to it later._

 

\---

 

Jack started to shiver, the words echoing in his mind, a sick feeling in his stomach. _I wish everyone could see how beautiful you are...I’d tell the world if I could_. The memory was so loud it was hard to focus; he could hear Bitty’s voice, but he couldn’t make out the words.

 

\---

 

_While they were kinkier than the average vanilla couple, they were more vanilla than a lot of kinky couples, as Bitty tended to say. Jack was just...eager to please. And Bitty loved to give that to him, the instructions and praise that left Jack heavy-eyed and blushing, eager and affectionate. They didn’t need titles for that, or props. The closest they got to bondage was Bitty asking Jack to stay still, or to hold onto the headboard, like he had tonight._

 

\---

 

“....here with you, and I’ll wait as long as you need,” Jack gradually realised he could hear Bitty saying. “It’s alright, Jack. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

“I’m sorry,” Jack breathed. “I…” There was more he wanted to say, but he still couldn’t think. “I’m sorry.”

“No,” Bitty hurried to say, tentatively stroking Jack’s cheek with his thumb. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong. Thank you for telling me you wanted to stop. I’m really glad you did that, sweetpea. Can you tell me what went wrong?”

 

\---

 

_The scene had started the way a lot of them did: with the two of them napping together, and waking up cuddled close. The quiet intimacy between them had become kisses, first sweet, then hotter, until Bitty rolled Jack onto his back with hands buried in his hair. “Hold onto the headboard, sweetheart,” he’d said huskily. “Let me look at you.”_

 

\---

 

“You said…” Jack’s voice came out hoarse, and he stopped to clear his throat. “You said you wanted to...show them. Me.”

Bitty’s hand flew up to his mouth, his eyes wide. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed instantly, dismayed. “That’s not what I meant at all, I promise. I was just ramblin’ and admirin’ you, and I guess my mouth got ahead of my brain a little.”

Jack swallowed convulsively, tension slowly leaking out of his muscles. His eyes were wide as he looked to Bitty, needy for reassurance.

Bitty leaned down to kiss him softly. “I love you so much, Jack, and I think you’re so beautiful, and so good, and I’m so incredibly proud of you I could _shout_ about it, but I am completely happy to keep everything between us private and precious, okay?”

Jack nodded a little, slowly, still feeling like he was on shaky ground. “I’m not...disappointing you?” he asked. “You won’t tell anyone?”

“Oh _sweetheart_ ,” Bitty said sadly. “No, never! You’re just perfect, Jack, absolutely, completely _good_ , and I’d never in the world even _think_ of telling someone what we do in bed.”

 

\---

 

_It took a long time for Bitty to gradually coax Jack back to baseline, and he was unsettled and clingy for a while afterwards. Once he knew enough to reassure Jack properly, Bitty stopped asking questions, leaving the whole topic for later, when Jack was feeling more himself. Eventually, though, they couldn’t (or knew they shouldn’t) avoid the conversation any longer._

 

\---

 

“What should we change next time?”

 

Cuddled close together on the couch, the two of them looked at each other. “It was just what I said that wasn’t good, right?” Bitty checked worriedly. “The physical stuff was fine?”

“It was fine,” Jack agreed quietly. He felt awkward, talking about these things. But words were important.

Bitty relaxed a little. “Oh, thank goodness,” he said in a rush. “Not that I wouldn’t do anything to make you happy, honey, but when we’ve done that so many times before this conversation would have been awfully complicated, and of course I’d be willing to have it! But I’d definitely be worried, and…”

“Bittle.” Jack leaned in, following up his interruption with a gentle kiss. “The physical stuff was fine.”

Bitty’s hand flew to his chest as he blushed. “Oh, I’m just being silly, aren’t I? Maybe _you_ should be in charge of this talk - I’m making a mess of it.”

Jack thought about that for a moment, considering it from all sides before he spoke. “It’s just what you said that upset me,” he confirmed. “And just what you said about...other people. I felt like...I wasn’t doing enough for you.”

Bitty made a wounded noise. “ _Sweetheart_ …” he said woefully. “No, honey, never!”

Jack smiled a little, tugging Bitty closer on his lap. “I can...now, I know that. But not...then.” He paused. “Can we take turns?” It was something his therapist had suggested, to help them communicate. Sometimes Jack found it hard to find the right words, and Bitty tended to fill silences with chatter when he was nervous. Taking turns meant they both got to say what mattered.

“Of course!” Bitty replied instantly. “Anything you want, sweetpea, that’s - I’m babbling, aren’t I?” He sighed. “I think it’d better be your turn now, honey.”

Jack rubbed Bitty’s back as he tried to decide what to say. “When I’m...down,” he explained, “everything you say is...more. More good, more bad. Because you’re everything. When I’m like that.” He paused, frowning a little. “So...what you want. I want to give it to you. So much.”

Bitty’s eyes were wide, and he was biting his lip to stop himself from speaking.

Jack wanted to make it better, but they’d learned by now that it was more important to make sure everything had been said. “You know I’m less anxious like that,” he said slowly, coming at the problem from a different angle. “Because...the world outside fades away. I’m focused, completely, on you. What you want.” Bitty made a noise, looking wounded, and after a moment, Jack said, “You can have a turn now.”

“I’m so _sorry!_ ” Bitty burst out instantly, hands cupping Jack’s cheeks. “I should have thought, sweetpea, I should have realised! You always make me so happy, honey, _always_ , I promise! Please don’t - you give me everything I want, _everything_ , Jack, please tell me you know that.”

Jack smiled a little despite himself, raising his eyebrows as he waited…

“Oh!” Bitty blushed. “Your turn, sweetpea.”

The silliness of the moment, small as it was, made Jack relax a little, and he reached up to take Bitty’s hands from his face and hold them. “I believe you,” he said seriously. “You show me every day. Even when I get anxious, you help me remember.” He took a deep breath. “And I love you too, so much. I’m proud of you, proud to be...yours. But coming out still scares me.” He squeezed Bitty’s hands, looking down. “Um. Your turn.”

“Jack…” Bitty said softly. “I should have realised that talking like that would be a problem. I didn’t mean that I wanted you to come out, I promise. I mean, I do, someday. But we’re not ready yet - me as much as you. I just...all I meant was that I was proud, so proud and pleased by you I could just about burst. I won’t say that kind of thing again.” He brought their linked hands up to his lips and kissed Jack’s knuckles, holding them there until Jack met his eyes. “Your turn, sweetpea.”

“No mention of other people, specific _or_ in general?” Jack clarified, his gaze softening.

Bitty nodded, biting his lip.

Jack smiled, a little. “I’m happy with that,” he said quietly. “And I don’t blame you for making a mistake. It’s okay.”

Bitty’s shoulders slumped, and he flung his arms around Jack, pulling him into a tight hug. “I love you _so much_ ,” he said hoarsely. “Thank you, sweetpea. I’m proud of you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed - let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
>  
> 
> Come reblog this work and view others from this fest [HERE](https://omgcpheartbreakfest.tumblr.com/) on the omgcpheartbreakfest tumblr page!


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